Falling Slowly
by AsTheLastPetalFalls
Summary: AU: Finnick Odair, the washed-up lead singer of the band "The Tributes" meets Annie Cresta, a busker who is fighting her own demons. Will the two be able to connect and fall in love with their shared love of music? Will they be able to overcome all their obstacles and demons? Sort of a song-fic. Based off the the song "Falling Slowly" from "Once". Might be OOC. Please don't flame!
1. Part One

**Disclaimer: Annie Cresta and Finnick Odair belong to Suzanne Collins. **

**EDIT: Hey guys, I'm not allowed to post song lyrics apparently, so if you want, you can go to my profile and there'll be a link to direct you to a document where I'll type up the chapter name and the lyrics below. Or you can go to my AO3 account (AsTheLastPetalFalls) and search up the story there, because it's posted up there as well. I just thought that you would like to know the lyrics because they fit into the story perfectly, and it was my inspiration for the story**

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><p><strong>Part One<strong>

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><p>Finnick always thought of the good-old days when he stood on various sidewalks with his guitar and busked. That was approximately five years ago.<p>

Now, he was the washed up lead singer of a once popular band, _The Tributes_; just walking the streets of the small town of Aurora, New York, reminiscing about his busking days. He often wondered what would've happened if he wasn't discovered by his old manager, Coriolanus Snow, busking in front of a coffee shop in Manhattan. Perhaps he would still be busking, or he would have a "proper job" and have a family. Maybe he wouldn't have an alcohol problem, or a STD. Finnick was pretty wild when he was popular. He was always on the front page of tabloids, partying, getting high, or having sex. That was one factor in the downfall of _The Tributes._

He sighed to himself as a cold wind washed over him, causing him to shiver and break out of his thoughts. _I should go to a local cafe and get a coffee or_ something, he thought.

Slowly, Finnick trudged to the cafe _District Four_, one he frequently visited when he was younger, and stopped as he heard a melodic voice of a girl. She had wavy brown hair and beautiful bright sea-green eyes filled with emotions. The girl was bundled up in a white toque, a grey pea coat, worn jeans, and brown combat boots. She was sitting behind a portable keyboard, playing a haunting tune that immediately caught Finnick's attention.

As she sang, the emotion in her voice entrapped Finnick and refused to let him go.

Finnick thought of ways to improve the song. _Maybe adding a violin in some places would make it sound even more perfect and enhance the emotion even more_, he mused.

Tears were starting to fall down the girl's cheeks, which were rosy from the cold temperature. Finnick's heart wrenched for a reason he couldn't put his finger on.

The song came to its conclusion and Finnick applauded her, a grin on his face. The girl's head looked up from her piano and stared at him, eyes wide, obviously shocked. Finnick knew from personal experience that busking in Aurora was rather hard if you wanted to actually receive public recognition and money, but it was easy if you were doing it for fun. Usually, everyone was either at work or at home and didn't have time to listen to buskers. So when a busker got applause, it was always a shocking moment.

"Hello," Finnick said to her, walking towards her with a smile on his face. "I would like to say that you are...extremely talented." The girl still stared at him with those wide sea-green eyes and smiled.

"Thank you," she replied, almost shyly.

"Seriously, I have...no words," Finnick said, letting out a breath after he said that. They had lapsed into an awkward silence after that. He could do nothing but watch as the girl started packing up her things to get ready to leave. Panic filled Finnick, and he found himself wanting to talk to the girl more.

"Do you need help with that?" he asked her. She looked back up at him again and smiled.

"Sure."

Finnick knew that she was just being polite, but he was just glad that she was humoring him. He started lifting up the keyboard as the girl brought out a case for it.

"So...what's your name?" he asked her, and then cringed inwardly on how awkward he sounded. What had happened to the "cool" Finnick? The lead singer of _The Tributes _Finnick? Where had all his confidence and sexiness gone?

"Annie," she replied. "Annie Cresta."

"Nice to meet you, Annie Cresta," he said. "I'm Finnick Odair." He waited for a reaction and/or recognition, but there was none.

"Nice to meet you, Finnick Odair," was all she said. He was shocked and yet relieved. Yes, he wanted to be recognized of as a singer of a successful band, but he did not want to be recognized by what he had done while he was the singer of a successful band.

"Thank you again," Annie said, breaking him out of his thoughts. He blinked and saw that she was all packed up and ready to leave. "Like, I said before, it was nice meeting you, Finnick. Goodbye." She was about to turn around, but he stopped her.

"Wait!"

She turned back around, confused.

"Yes?"

"Do you...I mean, would you like to have a coffee with me?" Finnick asked, pointing to _District Four_.

She looked conflicted, and rightfully so. If a random stranger had asked Finnick for a coffee after less than three minutes of conversation, Finnick would be pretty hesitant as well.

"Sure."

Finnick was pretty sure that he looked like an idiot with the goofy smile that erupted on his face.

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><p><strong>AN: Hi! This is my first Hunger Games fanfiction! Yay! I'm a HUGE Odesta shipper, and I guess I'm writing this in honor of "Mockingjay: Part One", which I am seeing on Friday and I'm so excited! This fic is inspired by the song "Falling Slowly" from the movie "Once", and the song Annie sings is called "The Hill", also from "Once". Just a note that is going to be a rather short fic and it's going to go forward in time a little bit. Also, please don't flame, and I'm sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes that I've made. **

**PLEASE REVIEW/FAVOURITE/FOLLOW! IT WILL ENCOURAGE ME TO WRITE FASTER!**

**~AsTheLastPetalFalls**


	2. Part Two

**Disclaimer: Finnick and Annie belong to Suzanne Collins. **

**EDIT: Hey guys, I'm not allowed to post song lyrics apparently, so if you want, you can go to my profile and there'll be a link to direct you to a document where I'll type up the chapter name and the lyrics below. Or you can go to my AO3 account (AsTheLastPetalFalls) and search up the story there, because it's posted up there as well. I just thought that you would like to know the lyrics because they fit into the story perfectly, and it was my inspiration for the story**

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><p><strong>Part 2: Two weeks later<strong>

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><p>Finnick Odair felt like he was playing a game with Annie Cresta.<p>

Sure, he learned a lot about her during the coffee meeting/hangout/date/whatever-you'd-like-to-call-it. But he wanted to know more. It was like a hunger, an all-consuming _need_; he just had to know more about the enigma that was Annie Cresta. Finnick kept a list called _"Things I know about Annie Cresta"._

_Things I know about Annie Cresta_

_She's twenty-three, only two years younger than I_

_She enjoys playing the piano, and has been playing since she was six_

_She's been living in Aurora for all of her life_

_She has absolutely no idea who the 'famous singer' Finnick is_

_She's one of the few people who knows the real Finnick_

_She spaces out when she talks about her family; her eyes go all clouded and she…disappears_

_Annie Cresta has demons_

It was an ever growing list, seeing as Finnick always learned something new about Annie. He had noticed that she rubbed the shell that was attached to a necklace she always wore when she was lost in thought. He had asked what the significance of the necklace was, and she said that it had been a gift from her brother, but then she began drifting…. She had drifted somewhere Finnick could not follow.

Sure, Annie wasn't much of a conversationalist. She was a very shy person, and yet very sweet and nice. People might call her a "Plain Jane", but to Finnick…she was more than that. However…there was this…darkness that was inside her. Something that had seared itself into her brain and was haunting her every second of every day. He didn't know how to ask her without offending her in some way, and had often spent hours thinking of possible ways to approach the subject without chasing her away. He never came up with anything.

His phone pinged, breaking him out of his thoughts. He checked the message and saw it was from Annie, a HUGE smile erupting across his face.

'_Hey, are you free? –Annie'_

He quickly typed back an answer. _'Hello! And yes ;) Why? –F'_

'_Well, I was wondering if you'd like to come see what I do for a job. –Annie'_

He was surprised. However, he wasn't surprised at the invitation though. They had been meeting each other almost every day for the past two weeks. But, he was surprised that Annie had invited him to her work. She had admitted to him that she was a very private person, with walls built high around her. She wasn't the type that trusted others easily. Finnick was still shocked as to why they had become that close in such a short time span, and Annie had shared his sentiments. She had given him her phone number on their third meetings. Before, he had to wait an ENTIRE day to speak to the beautifully smart enigma with wavy brown hair and bright sea-green eyes.

'_Sure. That would be fun! Where do you work? –F'_

'_Let's the meet at District Four, I'm on my break right now anyways. –Annie'_

'_Alright. I'll be right there. –F'_

'_See you soon Finnick. –Annie'_

With a bright smile still on his face, Finnick Odair quickly pulled on his jacket, jammed on his shoes, and headed towards _District Four_ to meet Annie.

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><p>Annie had been waiting for him when he arrived.<p>

She sat at "their table", as they had dubbed it on their sixth meeting, and drank her chai-tea latte, her favorite warm drink. She was reading a book. Finnick quietly walked up to the other side of the table and sat down in the chair.

"Hello," he greeted her. She looked up, startled, and relaxed when she saw that it was just Finnick. Her lips formed into an easy smile as she bookmarked her page and closed her book.

"Hey," she replied. "How have you been?"

"Good, good," he told her, looking at the drinks menu, wondering what he should get.

"Don't bother, I already ordered something for you."

He looked back at her, surprised. "Really?"

"Well, I remembered that you liked really sweet things, so I asked them to make the sweetest thing I could think of."

"A large hot chocolate with extra whip cream and chocolate syrup for Finnick," the barista called out. Annie gave him a coy smile.

"I believe that is yours," she told him. Finnick could taste the chocolate and was excited. He got out of his chair and grabbed his mug, and then headed back to the table.

"Wow," he remarked, after taking a sip. "This…is really good." Annie made a small face. "What?"

"How can you contain that much sugar in your body without wanting to puke from all the sweetness?" she asked him. He barked out a laugh.

"I don't know," he told her. "I've always liked sweet things though." He gave her a little wink. Annie smiled and laughed, obviously catching his double meaning.

The two sat in comfortable silence, finishing their drinks.

"So, ready to go?" Annie asked as she watched Finnick almost chug the last of his hot chocolate.

"Yup," he replied, wiping his mouth with a tissue. The two paid for their drinks and left.

"Where do you work?" he asked her. Annie pointed to a small shop just across the street. The old faded sign said: "Seneca Crane's Music Shop".

"Really?"

She smiled up at him. "Yeah. I work there part-time. Other times, I go to other people's houses and give them piano lessons."

"Shall we?" he asked, sticking out his arm. She grasped it lightly.

"We shall."

The two crossed the street and walked into the music store, the bells ringing throughout the store to alert their arrival.

"Ah, Annie, finally," a young woman behind the counter said. The girl had storm grey eyes and dark brown hair tucked neatly in a braid. She was reading a magazine about archery.

"Hey, Katniss," Annie greeted the girl.

"Who's this?" the girl, Katniss, asked, eyeing Finnick. She wasn't eyeing him in the "oh-wow-you're-so-attractive" way, but more in the "how-many-ways-can-I-kill-this-guy" way. He unconsciously gulped.

"This is Finnick, my friend," Annie told Katniss.

"Your boyfriend?" Katniss remarked, looking back and forth between Annie and Finnick. Both of them blushed bright red.

"N-no!" Finnick managed to get out. "We're friends. Just friends."

"Just friends," Annie repeated, the two words ringing with finality.

"Alright," Katniss declared, raising both of her hands up. "Well, I have to go now. Peeta's waiting for me down at the bakery."

"Oh, tell him I said hi," Annie told her. Katniss nodded, gave both of them and wave, and left the shop.

"Well, she's an interesting character," Finnick said, trying to break the awkward silence that Katniss left behind.

"Yeah," Annie agreed, giggling a little. "She's the closest thing I have to a 'girlfriend' in this town. Anyways, I brought you here because I thought that we could…I don't know. It sounds a little stupid now that I think about it…."

"What?" Finnick asked her. "Annie, whatever it is, I'm pretty sure it's not 'stupid'."

"I was thinking that we could…play together. Since you play the guitar and all," she said. Finnick nearly missed what she said because she said it too quickly.

"Sure," he said, giving her a smile. He had actually been looking forward to the day where they would get to play together since the day he had heard her sing in front of _District Four_. She grabbed his hand and dragged him to a place near the back where there was a grand piano.

"Find a guitar and we can get started."

Finnick perused through the guitar section and ended up choosing a Gibson J-4 Standard Acoustic and headed back to Annie, who was playing some chord like melody. She was playing them really slowly, making the melody seem almost otherworldly and romantic. He grabbed a nearby chair and sat near the piano, facing her. He started playing some chords that would almost fit. Annie looked up from the piano to him and watched almost curiously as he strummed the guitar. Suddenly, Annie stopped playing.

"I'm sorry," she apologized to him, making him confused. "That's all I got to."

"What do you mean?" he asked, curiosity burning inside him.

"I…well…I like to compose songs in my spare time. I like to pour all of my thoughts and emotions into it so that I feel more…." She trailed off, her eyes unfocusing again.

"Stable? Grounded?" Finnick supplied for her. Her eyes refocused on him again and he got so lost in them that he almost missed what she said next.

"Sane."

"Sane?"

"Well…." She hesitated. Finnick could see how conflicted she was on if she should continue her sentence.

"Annie, you know you can tell me anything. I'll always be here. I'm your friend."

She took a deep breath and exhaled. "Do you remember that song I sang the day we first met?"

"Yeah." How could Finnick ever forget that song? The song that was so filled with sadness, pain, and hurt. The song that touched him so.

"I wrote that song because…when I was younger, I had a twin, named Kai."

"Had? What happened to him?"

"Well…"

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><p><strong>AN Hello! I just went to see "Mockingjay Part One" and holy crap. IT WAS SOOOOO GOOD. MY FEELS! AHHH! Anyways, the next chapter will be a more indepth character viewing of Annie and how she became "crazy". Also, sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes :/**

**Thanks to: MermaidOdair, iffy-feels, Annie Sterling, creztas, S (Guest), In-My-Head-749, CusCus81 for reviewing/favoriting/following!**

**Responses to Reviews:**

**MermaidOdair: Aw, thank you so much! I'm glad you like it :D**

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**PLEASE REVIEW/FAVORITE/FOLLOW! IT HELPS ME WRITE FASTER!**

**Until next time,**

**AsTheLastPetalFalls**


	3. Part Three

**Disclaimer: Annie and Finnick are not mine. The songs 'Falling Slowly' and 'The Hill' belong to Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. The rest, however, is mine.**

**Warning: There is some dark stuff in this chapter.**

****EDIT: Hey guys, I'm not allowed to post song lyrics apparently, so if you want, you can go to my profile and there'll be a link to direct you to a document where I'll type up the chapter name and the lyrics below. Or you can go to my AO3 account (AsTheLastPetalFalls) and search up the story there, because it's posted up there as well. I just thought that you would like to know the lyrics because they fit into the story perfectly, and it was my inspiration for the story****

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><p><strong>Part Three: October 15, 2001<strong>

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><p>Annie and Kai Cresta were born to Marlene and Victor Cresta on May 25, 1991. They were fraternal twins, completely different in looks and personality, but they had a connection that ran between them. People teased them about their "superpower", their "twin bond". They knew what the other was thinking, feeling. What they wanted and needed.<p>

But as they entered high school, Annie felt the connection between them wearing thin. Kai became popular, but that was sort of an inevitable thing. Kai, like their older sister Cora, was handsome. Some might even dare say beautiful.

Annie was none of those things.

Kai often hung out with the "popular" crowd; the cheerleaders, his fellow football teammates, other beautiful/handsome people….

Annie often hung out with the "losers". The band geeks, math nerds, science geeks, and more. Annie was all of those and then some. However, that was her downfall.

Plain Jane Annie Cresta was bullied by her twin brother and his group of "popular" friends. Often being verbally abused and emotionally scarred, she ran home with tears streaming down her face, wondering where she had gone wrong. Where everything had gone wrong. When had she and Kai drifted so far away from each other that they could never get back to the close brother-sister bond they had?

She cried as she fell asleep every night. But some nights, Kai would silently slip into her room and lay beside her in her bed, holding her shaking form tightly, whispering how sorry he was.

The next day, he would go back to his "normal" state.

_When had this cocky, arrogant, angry, mean, hurtful Kai become the normal Kai? _Annie often wondered. _Will I ever be able to get my kind, loving brother back? _

She always wished and prayed for this to happen. That a miracle would happen and Kai would return back to his normal self. That he would stop arguing with their parents and their older sister, making all of them cry with his hurtful worlds. But…miracles were impossible. They were a once in a lifetime chance. The day that Annie realized that was the worst day of her life.

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><p>She had been walking home from the library when she spotted Kai and his idiotic group of friends drinking alcohol and getting high in an alleyway. Annie had stopped and just stared, emotions pulsing through her all at once. Hurt. Pain. Sadness. And anger. So much anger. She could not contain the anger and rage that pulsed through her entire being, making her see red. She marched right up to the group, and they laughed as she approached. She knocked the drugs and the bottle of beer out of Kai's hand, grabbed his hand and marched out of the alley, towards the direction of their house.<p>

"Stupid bitch!" he cried. "Let go of me!" Annie stopped right in front of their house and did what he wanted; dropping his arm roughly, she turned around and faced him. She glared, her usually bright and happy sea-green eyes filled to the brim with contempt and hatred.

"What on earth do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

"Annie-"

"Do you even have a brain anymore? Drugs **and **alcohol? Do you have a death wish or something?" she yelled at him right in the middle of the street. He sighed, rolling his eyes.

"A-"

"You know, what happened to the old Kai?" she demanded. "Huh? What happened to my brother?"

"He's still here!" he yelled back at her, throwing his arms in the end.

"Where?" she asked, her voice went so quiet, it was menacing.

"What?" he replied, not noticing the silent rage in her voice.

"Where. Is. He?" she repeated. "Because the Kai I knew, my _brother_ Kai, would not be doing stupid things like this and risking his life!"

"I'M STILL YOUR BROTHER ANNIE!"

"NO, YOU'RE NOT!" she yelled like she never had before, and her voice rang throughout the empty street. "You are no brother of mine." His face went slack and emotionless. Annie bit her bottom lip, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She couldn't stand the sight of him anymore. She felt…sick. Sick to her stomach seeing her twin brother look like…exactly what he was. A junkie. A douchebag. She turned around and walked away, not even telling him where she was going.

"Annie, where are you going?" he asked her, his voice quiet. She ignored him and continued marching down the street.

"Annie? ANNIE?!"

Resilient, Annie Cresta marched on to clear her head.

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><p>An hour had passed when Annie came back into her house. She knew that Kai was inside, she just had a feeling. When she had walked around the neighborhood, she started to feel guilty and upset for the words she had said. Especially when she told him that he wasn't her brother. She knew that if Kai had said that, <em>yelled <em>that, straight to her face she would've been heartbroken. And so, Annie was ready to apologize and forgive him and she only hoped that he would forgive her as well.

"Kai?" she called as she took off her shoes and locked the door. She walked into the living room, but there was no one there. She also checked the kitchen and Kai was absent there too.

"Kai? You home?" she called, heading up the stairs that led to the second floor, where all their bedrooms were. She walked up to the door that had a heavy metal band poster on it and knocked.

"Kai? It's Annie. Listen, I'm sorry for all the things I said in the street. I didn't mean it when I said that you weren't my brother," she said sincerely. "So…can you please open the door?"

Silence.

"Kai? I said I was sorry. Can I come in?"

Again, no answer.

Annie frowned. Was he really that upset with her that he wouldn't answer her?

"Kai, I'm giving you five seconds to open the door before I walk in there," she warned. _One….Two…..Three…..Four….Five. _

"Coming in!" She opened the door with a creak and let out a scream.

Kai's body was hanging from the ceiling, lifeless, from a rope. He had written a note and stuck it on his chest. Shaking, Annie stood up, the tears flowing down her cheeks like waterfalls. She took clumsy steps towards the limp body of her twin, her brother, and ripped the note off his chest, reading it through her tears.

_Sorry._

She fell to the ground, covering her ears with her hands, screaming as she rocked back and forth.

Annie Cresta broke with the suicide of her brother.

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><p>For the next year, Annie only said three words, "It's my fault."<p>

Countless therapists, specialists, doctors, and psychiatrists came and left but there was no change in Annie.

Until Dr. Mags Cohen.

Mags Cohen was almost like Annie's guardian angel, a grandmother she never had. She helped Annie realize that it wasn't her fault, that it was Kai's decision to commit suicide.

"_I'm crazy," Annie would often say to Mags._

"_No you're not," Mags would reply. _

"_I killed Kai," Annie would next say._

"_No you didn't," Mags would say._

It was a repeating conversation, and then slowly…the conversation would only happen a few times….and then it would never happen again.

It was also Mags who told Annie to channel her feelings and thoughts into music.

_"Have you ever tried playing an instrument?" Mags asked. Annie looked up at her, broken out of her thoughts._

_"Pardon?" she asked._

_"Have you ever tried playing an instrument?" Mags kindly repeated. A look of fondness and a small smile crossed Annie's face._

_"I used to love playing the piano, and I used to sing in our community choir, but I haven't done that since…." She trailed off, her smile slowly slipping off her face, and her face became emotionless._

_"Since Kai committed suicide."_

_Annie nodded absently._

_"Since Kai committed suicide," she whispered, almost as if she was talking to herself._

_"Well, why don't you try this? Go home, sit in front of your piano, play something, anything. Write a song that you can pour all of your heart into. Honor him with a song," Mags suggested. Annie sat up straighter, mentally taking notes of everything Mags had said, and nodded._

That night, Annie Cresta sat in front of her piano, took a deep breath in and started playing random chords. She spent the entire night writing down the notes and lyrics, perfecting the song. The next night, she performed the song for her parents, the haunting sound and the raw emotion in Annie's voice moving her mother to tears.

"That was beautiful, sweetheart," her father praised her. "What's it called?"

"'For Kai'."

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><p><strong>AN: Hello again! So, we're slowly reaching the ending of this story :(. I have planned a lot of twists and turns, so look forward to it! This was sort of a dark and sad chapter. And the song Annie wrote for Kai is the song she sang in the first chapter. It's called "The Hill", and I really recommend that you listen to it. Also, as always, please forgive me for any grammar/spelling mistakes!**

**Thanks to: Guest(s), MermaidOdair, thechamberofmahogany, ilovepeeta4ever, and RandomPotterhead (Guest) for reviewing/following/favoriting!**

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**RandomPotterhead (Guest): Thank you SOOOO much, your review made me smile so widely that people were looking at me funny :D**

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**PLEASE REVIEW/FOLLOW/FAVORITE, IT WOULD HELP ME OUT A LOT AND MAKE ME WRITE FASTER!**

**Until next time,**

**~ AsTheLastPetalFalls ~**


	4. Part Four

**A/N 1: Hey guys! If you have read the previous chapters you can totally ignore this but if you haven't: it turns out I'm not allowed to post song lyrics, and I would like to thank the user who alerted me to this because I wasn't aware. So thank you. And so, if you would like to know what lyrics fit into each chapter, there is a link on my profile that will send you to a document that does so, and if you don't want to do that, I have an AO3 account (AsTheLastPetalFalls), and you can read the story/chapter/lyrics there.**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: Annie and Finnick belong to Suzanne Collins. "Falling Slowly" belongs to Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.<strong>

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><p><strong>Part Four<strong>

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><p>Annie burst into tears as soon as she finished telling Finnick her story. She cried for herself, she cried for Kai, she cried for…everything really. Life. Life was a bitch.<p>

Two warm arms wrapped around her and her cheek was resting against a chest, surprising her. Finnick had wrapped her into a hug and was patting her back comfortingly.

"Shh," she heard him whisper. "Don't cry, Annie." She just turned her head into his chest, soaking his shirt in tears (and snot, if she was being honest).

Finnick kept mumbling things to her like, "it's okay," and, "it wasn't your fault". But as he was rambling, she caught a few words that made her heart beat faster.

"I can't stand it if you cry, Annie. It hurts my heart." And then he had gone back to whispering about how Kai wouldn't want her to feel guilty and how his suicide was his decision, but Annie could only focus on those two sentences.

It was in that moment that she knew that, in the short span of two weeks, Annie Cresta was falling for Finnick Odair.

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><p>It had been three days since Annie had told him about her past, and Finnick hadn't been able to contact her since then. It made him anxious, the fact that Annie wouldn't answer his calls or his text messages. He wanted to see her and…speak to her about his <em>own <em>past. Which was hard for Finnick, since his singing days and the days that led up those days weren't so pretty. But he knew that it had been difficult for Annie to open up about her own past, so he would make that effort, for her.

If only she would answer his calls.

Giving a short sigh, Finnick picked up his phone again and dialed, from memory, Annie's number and listened to it ring, the familiar feeling of anticipation filling him.

"_Hi, it's Annie Cresta, I'm not available at the moment, but if it's important, feel free to leave a message after the beep," _her pre-recorded voice greeted him, disappointment filling him. He gave another sigh and hung up. He put the phone on his bedside table and hung his head in his hands.

_Annie Cresta, where the hell are you?_

* * *

><p>Annie sat in the hospital waiting room, absentmindedly flipping through some fashion magazine. It was the day for her monthly doctor's appointment.<p>

Three years ago, they had found a tumor in Annie's lungs.

Thankfully, they had removed the tumor before it could spread and create even more tumors, but to be on the safe side, Annie always went to the doctor's every month.

As she read about some outfit a washed-up member of an old band wore to an award show, her phone started playing the intro to her song, 'For Kai'. She pulled out her phone from her coat pocket and checked it. _Finnick. _She was tempted to accept the call, but she was afraid. Afraid that Finnick wouldn't want to be her friend anymore.

It was stupid, she knew. She also knew that Finnick was probably worried sick over the fact that she hadn't contacted him since she had told him about her past. But….

She declined the call.

Guilt and regret panged through her. Should she have answered? What if her suspicions were wrong? Before she could change her mind, Annie unlocked her phone and started punching in the digits of Finnick's number.

"Annie Cresta," a nurse called. Annie looked up from her phone, irritation briefly crossing her face before she replaced it with a sort of strained smile.

"Yes?" she answered.

"Doctor Everdeen will see you now."

Annie stood up, fear filling her entire body again. _What if the cancer came back? How long did she have left to live? _Those questions always raced across her mind whenever she came for a check-up. With shaky legs, she walked into the familiar room.

* * *

><p>Finnick had fell asleep after his failed attempt to contact Annie. But the sudden ringing of his phone jolted him awake.<p>

He sat straight up and grabbed his phone; hoping, praying, that it was Annie. However, the name that was displayed on the screen made him scowl.

_Coriolanus Snow._

Finnick was tempted to decline the call, but he knew that the only reason Snow was calling him was because he wanted something. And Finnick wasn't about to turn down the opportunity to deny Snow what he wanted. So, he accepted the call.

"Hello?" he answered coldly.

"Finnick," the gravelly voice of Snow greeted him. "How are you, my boy?"

"Good," he bit out. "And yourself?"

"Fine, fine," Snow replied. "But I haven't called you to ask about your wellbeing."

"I can tell."

"I'm just going to cut straight to the chase-"

"Please," Finnick cut in.

Snow took a while to compose himself from Finnick's unexpected interruption.

"People are asking for a _Tributes _reunion."

Finnick was shocked. _What? _"It's only been a year or two since we disbanded."

"Yes, but they want you back, Finnick."

"Well, they can't have me back. _The Tributes_ are over. Done. Finito," he ranted on angrily.

"Your contract's not over yet, Finnick."

He sat there, frozen, gripping his phone tightly. He totally forgot. He had signed a ten year contract with Panem Recording. He was only eight years into the contract.

"What about the rest?" Finnick asked. "Johanna? Gloss? Cashmere?"

"They've all agreed to come back," Snow replied. Finnick could just imagine the smirk Snow had on his face.

"You've got to be kidding me," Finnick replied heatedly.

"You can ask any of them, they've agreed, but on one condition."

Curiosity and hope filled Finnick. "What was it?"

"This is the only time _The Tributes _will ever get back together, and they can just live out the rest of their contract, no questions asked."

A smile broke out on Finnick's face. "Then…I'll do it." _Never thought I'd willingly say those words to Snow again…._

"Excellent," Snow said. "But, I also have a condition of my own."

Finnick groaned on the inside. _What does the old snake want NOW? _"What?"

"Write me a new song, so we can release it as a single."

_Well…that seems easy enough. _"Done."

"However, Mr. Odair…."

This time, Finnick didn't bother containing his groan. "What NOW?"

"If I don't like the single, then you must write me a new one. And if I don't like _that _single…. Well, I think you can figure out where I'm going with this," Snow quietly threatened. Finnick gulped.

"Yes, sir."

"Anyways, Finnick, we will be reuniting in Manhattan in a week. And I want my single by then."

"You shall have it."

"Alright."

"Goodbye, Finnick."

"Goodbye, Mr. Snow."

Snow hung up first and Finnick let out a huge sigh.

_Well…better start working._

* * *

><p>"Hello, Annie," Dr. Everdeen greeted her as she unsteadily walked through the door. "How are you feeling today?" Dr. Everdeen, Katniss's mom, had always been her family doctor, and they were rather close.<p>

"To be honest, I haven't been feeling that well," Annie admitted. "I've been having trouble breathing at night." Dr. Everdeen shot her a concerned look. "Do you think there might be a chance that…it's back?"

"Well…it could be just a simple virus," Dr. Everdeen said. "And it _has _been three years, but…better safe than sorry."

Annie took a big breath and nodded, silently praying in her head.

_Oh, Kai. Please help me..._

* * *

><p>Finnick drank his sixth cup of coffee and crumpled up the piece of sheet music he had been writing on. He just couldn't find inspiration! Nothing had happened to him since he got out of rehab. Then again, he could write a song out of his rehab, but that wouldn't be too interesting.<p>

_Something has happened to you,_ a small voice said in the back of his head. _Or, should I say…someONE?_

Annie.

He could write a song about Annie.

With his new inspiration, Finnick began thinking of lyrics.

* * *

><p>Annie was patiently sitting in a room as Dr. Everdeen looked at the results of the x-ray. Panic began to fill her as the reality of the chance of the cancer returning began to hit. She couldn't go. Not yet. She was young, only twenty-three. She had so much to live for. Her parents, her friends, Finnick….<p>

Oh God.

Finnick.

The boy, no…man that she was falling in love with. Or was she already in love with him? When they first met, the only thing Annie could think of afterwards was Finnick. His hair, his eyes, his laugh, his…everything.

Oh Lord.

Annie Cresta was in love with Finnick Odair.

Now, she felt like she had too much to lose.

"I don't want to go," she whispered brokenheartedly.

* * *

><p>Finnick smiled proudly as he re-read the lyrics and the notes for the single.<p>

He called it: "Falling Slowly", and he had written it all with Annie in his mind. His thoughts, his…emotions.

The smile slid off Finnick Odair's face as he realized something that should've been so obvious to him.

He was falling slowly in love with Annie Cresta.

Dr. Everdeen entered into the room and Annie gave her a hopeful, tearful gaze. At first, Dr. Everdeen couldn't meet Annie eyes, but she steeled herself, turned to Annie, and shook her head.

She caught the girl as she collapsed in tears.

Finnick was still shocked by his revelation.

Of course he was falling in love with Annie. That was why writing the song was so easy. Easier than any other song he had written back in his Glory Days. Because falling in love with Annie was easy.

He needed to speak to Annie.

Just as he reached for his phone, it buzzed. And there was a message from Annie.

A wave of emotions hit Finnick all at once. Betrayal. Relief. Elation. Disappointment. Love.

'_Can we meet? I really need to talk to you. –A'_

He smiled softly to himself.

'_Of course. I have something I need to tell you as well. –Finnick'_

An answer arrived immediately. _'Great. Meet you at District Four in 30 minutes –A'_

'_See you there.'_

Finnick was going to tell Annie his story.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey guys! I'm sorry if this chapter seems a little fast paced. It's just that there's so much other stuff to go through and there's only going to be three chapters left :(. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed. And I'm sorry for any spelling/grammar issues.**

**Thanks to: 101ninjaking (Guest), MermaidOdair, musicalnerdgeek, tardisbluetrenchcoat (love your username btw), RandomPotterhead (Guest), catspats31, Calliope's Scribe for reviewing/favoriting/following!**

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**~ AsTheLastPetalFalls ~**


	5. Part Five

**Disclaimer: Annie and Finnick (and various other characters) all belong to Suzanne Collins. "Falling Slowly" belongs to Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.**

* * *

><p><strong>Part Five<strong>

* * *

><p>"Annie," Finnick breathily greeted the beautiful brown haired woman as he met her in front of what he secretly called "their place". She smiled at him, but something seemed off about her smile.<p>

"Hey, Finnick."

Finnick frowned. Why did she sound so…upset? What had happened? And where the hell was she?

"Where were you?" he asked, jumping straight to the chase. She averted her eyes from his and looked to the ground.

"….that's what I need to tell you," Annie hesitantly said. "Perhaps we should head inside before we both catch our deaths?" Finnick nodded and the two headed inside the warm café, and sat at "their" table.

"Listen Fi-" Annie started saying.

"Wait," Finnick said. She closed her mouth and gave him a questioning look. "Before you continue, I have to tell you."

Annie frowned, confused. "What do you have to tell me?"

"I have to tell you about me."

* * *

><p><strong>June 27, 2003<strong>

"Happy birthday, Finnick!" his mom, Adrea, greeted him as he groggily slumped into his seat at the table. His father, Caspian, looked up from his newspaper and gave him a smile that mirrored Finnick's own.

"Happy birthday son."

"Thanks," Finnick said full-heartedly and dug into the stack of pancakes his mother put in front of him. Loud footsteps announced the arrival of his older brother, Dylan.

"Hey," Finnick said to his brother with a smile. Instead of the smile he wanted, Dylan just shot him a glare and threw himself into his chair. Dejected, Finnick continued eating his pancakes in silence.

"Dylan, don't you have something to say to Finnick?" Adrea asked Dylan pointedly as she put some pancakes on a plate for him.

"No," he scoffed. In an unusual expression of anger, Adrea slammed the plate of pancakes in front of him, causing some of the syrup to splash on his face.

"Suit yourself then."

Caspian cleared his throat awkwardly, set down his newspaper, and asked Finnick, "So, I bet you want your birthday gift now." Finnick looked up from his plate and nodded. His father stood up and headed to the living room, and Finnick followed him, curious.

_I wonder what he got me. I didn't really ask for anything…. Though a car would be nice…. I mean, I would have to wait two more years to actually be legally able to DRIVE it, but it would still be great to say, 'Oh, I have a car!' to my friends…. Or maybe it's a new pair of swim trunks or goggles. Lord knows that I need a new pair. Plus, I'm preparing for a meet with my team at YMCA…._

"Voila!" his father proclaimed, handing Finnick an old guitar case with a red ribbon plastered on it. Finnick took the case apprehensively.

"It was my old guitar," Caspian told Finnick as he opened the case and pulled out the battered acoustic guitar. "It was also your grandfather's old guitar."

Finnick plucked each string indivisually, enthralled with his gift.

"Thanks, Dad," he said, smiling widely. His father chuckled.

"No problem."

Now Finnick just had to learn how to play the guitar.

* * *

><p><strong>February 25, 2005<strong>

Finnick Odair found himself sitting in the principal's office for the third time that year.

Mr. Heavensbee, the aforementioned principal, sat in his chair staring at Finnick in disappointment, but there was also another emotion was mixed in his gaze.

"So…Finnick…."

"Yes?"

"Listen, son…. I get that you're good at music. I get that you're interested in music. But…school-wise, you're doing terribly."

Finnick swallowed nervously. "I'm sorry, sir. I'll work harder to raise my grades up."

"No," Mr. Heavensbee said firmly.

Finnick could feel all the blood drain from his face. "No?"

"No. Listen Finnick, you can tell me who played bass for a bunch of rock bands. Or you can probably list for me all of the tracks that 'Queen' released in chronological order. However, if you do not know what the square root of 25 is, or list all of our presidents in order...well….you're not much good for me."

Dread and hurt filled Finnick. Sure, he had been rather invested in his guitar playing, singing, and composing, but surely he wasn't THAT far behind in homework. Surely his grades weren't as bad as Mr. Heavensbee was making out….

"Sir-"

"But here is what I suggest, Finnick," Mr. Heavensbee continued, ignoring him. "Leave school today. Drop out completely. Go get your guitar and leave this town. Go into the big city and start playing. If you do this for at least six months, and it doesn't work out, come back. I'll accept you back in again. However, I want your best next time, Finnick."

Finnick's mouth hung open from shock. "W-what? W-why?"

"I used to be 'in the business' as they say, Finnick," Mr. Heavensbee said. "I used to work for Capitol Records, in fact. And I know talent when I see it."

Finnick was speechless. He truly didn't know what to say.

"Thank you, sir," he managed to get out. Mr. Heavensbee cracked a rare smile.

"Now, leave! Go start playing."

With a huge smile on his face, Finnick left and ran to his house; feeling free as a bird. He barged into the house and yelled, "Mom!"

His mother walked out of the kitchen with a confused look on her face. "Finnick? Why are you back already?"

"I dropped out, Mom! Mr. Heavensbee told me that I could and that I should go start busking in Manhattan! Isn't this great? Can you drive me?" he rambled as he ran to his room to get his guitar.

And that is how Finnick Odair's busking career began.

* * *

><p><strong>June 27, 2005<strong>

It was his sixteenth birthday, and Finnick Odair sang his heart out on the streets of Manhattan. He still felt light and carefree as he did what he loved the most, even four months after he started. In the beginning, there hadn't been much of a reaction to his performances, but a few weeks later, Finnick started gaining more and more attention, even receiving money.

And so, there he was, singing the same old songs and some new compositions he had been working on, and generally enjoying himself, when someone approached him. The man was wearing an expensive looking suit and he looked old enough to be Finnick's grandfather. He had an air of self-importance around him and Finnick immediately hated him.

"You must be Finnick Odair," the old man said, giving him a once over. Finnick nodded.

"Yes. And you are?"

The man smiled. "I'm Coriolanus Snow, and I have a deal for you."

For his sixteenth birthday, Finnick Odair got a record deal.

* * *

><p><strong>June 27, 2007<strong>

Finnick Odair, eighteen, lead-singer of the hit band "The Tributes", woke up on his birthday in a room that reeked of sex and alcohol. He looked at the time, 6:30 AM, and then surveyed his surroundings. Various men and women in various states of undress were scattered all around the room, and Finnick felt sick.

He had done it again.

He had gotten piss drunk and then probably went and had some wild sex party which would be all over the tabloids….

Great.

He felt sick. Sick of himself, sick of life.

He got down from the bed, maneuvered around the people, slipped quietly out of the front door, and headed home.

On his eighteenth birthday, Finnick Odair received a massive headache.

* * *

><p><strong>June 27, 2009<strong>

"So, I've been thinking," Johanna Mason, the band's main bass player said to him.

"Dangerous thing that," Finnick mumbled. Johanna glared daggers at him and Finnick couldn't find himself to care. He was too high to give a flying shit about anything.

"I think that we should disband."

That got Finnick's attention.

He sat up straighter and looked her straight in the eyes, not feeling so high anymore.

"What?"

She sighed. "We haven't been making great music lately, and honestly…we think you need to go to rehab."

"…what?"

That was the only word he could say, think….

"Finnick, we need to disband, and you need to go to rehab. End of story. Come with us tomorrow to Snow's office so we can get it done."

He was frozen in his seat and couldn't be bothered to reply.

"See you Finnick."

On his twentieth birthday, Finnick Odair's band disbanded.

* * *

><p><strong>June 27, 2011<strong>

Two years of rehab. Not one visit from his ex-band mates.

Finnick had to admit. It hurt quite a lot.

He considered his (ex-)band mates his friends. Hell, he would even call them his family. And yet…they just ditched him.

Dumped him on his ass into rehab.

"We're going to let you out in a week, Finnick."

_Freedom._

For his twenty-second birthday, Finnick Odair received freedom.

* * *

><p>"…and that's that," Finnick concluded.<p>

Annie remained silent, and she stared at him with…compassion and this new emotion that Finnick couldn't put his finger on….

"Wow, Finnick…." She breathed. He looked down awkwardly.

"Actually, there's a reason why I'm telling you this," he admitted. She gave him a confused look. "But first, can you get us into the music shop? It's your shift next, right?" Annie nodded. He smiled and grabbed her hand, pulling her up.

"Then let's go."

* * *

><p>Finnick sat in a chair by the piano, and Annie was sitting on the piano bench.<p>

"So…my old band is having a really short reunion soon," he told her. "And…I've written a new single for it, and I want you to listen to it."

He felt really nervous as he started strumming a guitar he had found and began singing "Falling Slowly". He could feel Annie's gaze boring through him as he finished.

"It's beautiful," he heard her breathe. He looked up at her and smiled. She smiled back.

"That's…that's good…" he said, relief palpable in his voice. "So glad that my muse likes it." She blushed and looked at the piano keys.

'"_So glad that my muse likes it"?! Nice one, Odair…. Nice one," _he mentally facepalmed himself.

"Anyways," he said, quickly changing the subject. "I was wondering if you would like to help me with this song."

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

"Can you sing the harmonies and maybe add some piano accompaniment? Just for the demo," he pleaded. She smiled and nodded.

For an hour or so, they had worked out all of the piano accompaniment and the harmonies and then agreed that they would record it all tomorrow.

"Wait, wasn't there something you wanted to tell me before?" Finnick questioned Annie as they left the shop.

'_Yes,'_ she thought. _'I love you, and I don't have much time to say that to you because I have cancer that is spreading rapidly through my body.' _

"No," she replied, trying to say it nonchalantly. "It's not that important." Finnick studied her for a minute and Annie squirmed a little under his gaze.

But then, he shrugged and said, "Alright then. I'll…see you tomorrow?" Annie nodded and gave him a semi-strained smile.

"Bye."

"Bye."

Annie stared at Finnick's retreating back, wishing she had the courage to tell him.

* * *

><p><strong>FUN FACT: June 27th is Sam Claflin's real birthday, and it's my birthday too!<strong>

**ANOTHER FUN FACT: The conversation between Plutarch and Finnick is based off a real-life conversation Glen Hansard had with his headmaster at school!**

**A/N: Hi! Sorry it's been a while since I last updated. I've been having a bit of writer's block, but after listening to a bunch of songs from "Once", and just other songs by The Swell Season, I've gotten some motivation back. Sorry if my writing was terrible this chapter, and if Finnick's story wasn't really written that well. It honestly took me a while to write because I didn't really know what to write due to the writer's block :/ And this story's coming to an end in about two chapters :( So the chapters are going to be longer so I can just get the whole story in. Again, as usual, sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes!**

**Thanks to: RandomPotterhead (Guest), Emmagalante20, MermaidOdair, S (Guest) for reviewing/favoriting/following!**

**Replies:**

**RandomPotterhead (Guest): Thanks again! And yeah, I saw Mockingjay Part One the day it came out, and it was SO GOOD. I think that it's my favorite movie out of the ones so far. **

**MermaidOdair: Thanks!**

**S (Guest): Thanks!**

**PLEASE REVIEW/FOLLOW/FAVORITE! IT REALLY HELPS ME OUT A LOT AND MOTIVATES ME!**

**Until next time,**

**~ AsTheLastPetalFalls ~**


	6. Part Six

**Disclaimer: Annie, Finnick, and the various other characters that appear in this story are not mine. They belong to Suzanne Collins. The song "Falling Slowly" is also not mine (no matter how many times I perform it), and they belong to Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (aka The Swell Season)**

* * *

><p><strong>Part Six: One week later<strong>

* * *

><p>Finnick couldn't shake the sinking feeling in his stomach and the bitter taste in his mouth as the car drove towards the New York "department" of Capitol Records. For the first time in five years, Finnick would be meeting his ex-band members, the people he thought he could trust the most and count as family.<p>

Well, he was obviously wrong.

They had dumped him into rehab and then proceeded to never see his face again. Some friends. Finnick reeled in his anger as they pulled to a stop in front of the building.

"We're here, sir," the driver said.

"Yeah, I can see that," Finnick said bitterly as he stared at the familiar building. He got out of the car and headed inside, pulled on his backpack.

"Hello sir, may I help you?" the secretary at the front desk asked as she spared in a glance. Figures no one would recognize him now. When he was younger, he looked much, **much **different. He had more of that glazed druggie look and a stupid haircut. Also a bunch of tattoos that he had gotten removed two years ago.

"Yeah, my name's Finnick Odair. I have a meeting with Snow," he informed her with a fake smile on his face. The girl's eyes widened in recognition.

"Oh, I am so sorry, Mr. Odair," she apologized fervently. "Please forgive me for not recognizing you. President Snow is waiting in his office for you."

"Thanks," he said and nodded at her once before heading to the elevator. He pressed the "up" button and, not even five seconds later, the doors opened, and revealed Johanna Mason, Gale Hawthorne, Cashmere, and Gloss. They all looked sort of shocked at his appearance. Awkwardly clearing his throat, he stepped into the elevator.

'_Well, this is going to be an awkward ride up,_' he thought.

* * *

><p>Annie Cresta took a deep breath as she waited for Dr. Everdeen to return with the latest test results. She knew she had some sort of illness, but she didn't know (a) what is was, (b) how life-threatening it would be, and (c) if it could be treated. She was nearly shaking with fear, wondering what she would have to do. She had too much to life for. Finnick, her parents, her friends…. Her music, her aspirations and dreams that never got fulfilled.<p>

"Annie," a voice called. She looked up and met the somber eyes of Dr. Everdeen.

"What's the result?" she asked in a small voice.

"Well…we don't know what it is," the doctor replied. "Whatever it is, it originated from your lungs and is spreading through your body fast. I have never seen anything like this before in my life." Well, there was her answer for question a.

"Is it…life-threatening is it?"

"I can't tell yet, but I suggest that you get lots of rest. Perhaps quit your job and just…live life."

Annie deflated. Quit her job? Her job was the only way she had a social life. Well, besides Finnick. What was her purpose in the world if she didn't have a job?

"I have to quit my job?" she asked, hoping the doctor might change her mind.

"I believe that is best for you, Annie," the doctor said firmly. "We're going to be doing a lot of tests on you for the next few weeks, and it'll be better for you if you just rest afterwards."

Annie sighed and nodded, accepting her fate.

"We're going to try hard to find out what it is and treat it, Annie."

"Thank you, Doctor," Annie said, standing up. The doctor shot her a sympathetic look.

"It'll be alright, Annie. I promise."

* * *

><p>The ride up to Snow's office was filled with awkward tension and silence, just like Finnick thought it would be, but then Johanna interrupted the silence by demanding,<p>

"Are you clean?"

Finnick turned to her. "What?"

"Are you clean? Or are you still the same old guy we knew five years ago?" she repeated, her voice harsh.

"I'm clean, okay? Have been for a while now. Which you would know if you had contacted me at least once in the past five years," Finnick shot back. Johanna just shut her mouth after that and then decided to glare daggers at him. Finnick ignored her piercing gaze and watched the numbers on the screen slowly creep up to 20.

The doors opened with a ding, and Finnick felt free as he walked out of the restricting elevator.

"Ah, welcome," the gravelly voice of Coriolanus Snow greeted them. "Finnick, how are you?"

"Fine, sir," Finnick replied.

"Johanna, nice to see you again."

"Wish I could say the same," she hissed at the older man. Snow grinned and then turned to Cashmere.

"Ah, Cashmere. Congratulations on your new clothing line. I'm happy to hear that it's been highly successful," he said cheerfully. Cashmere just smiled politely.

"Now, Gale, Johanna. Congratulations on your wedding. Sorry I couldn't come."

"You weren't even invited," Johanna bit out while Gale just nodded once at Snow.

"Gloss….well…I wish there was something I could congratulate you on, but you haven't exactly done anything in the past five years so…."

A flash of hatred and hurt flashed across said man's face, and Finnick couldn't help but feel sorry for poor Gloss. Gloss had always been the outcast of the group, the odd man out. Finnick had tried to include him as much as possible, but Snow vetoed any ideas of that.

"Now, Finnick, I really liked your new single that you sent me," Snow continued. "What's it called?"

"Um, 'Falling Slowly'," Finnick replied, conflicted on if he should feel happy or not about that.

"And who's the charming young lady that's singing with you?" Snow questioned with a smirk on his face.

"Just a friend."

"Hm, that's nice," Snow said absently. "Anyways, here's your schedules for the next two weeks. You're going to be recording your album, and on the day it's released, you will be performing at Madison Square Garden, where you will announce your world tour-"

"WHAT?" everyone in the room, besides Snow, collectively yelled. "WHAT WORLD TOUR?"

Snow smiled at them sadistically. "Why, the world tour of your reunion, of course. If we're going to let _The Tributes _go, we might as well let them go with a bang! Which means…world tour."

"This is bull!" Johanna raged, knocking a lamp off Snow's desk. It shattered on the marble floor. "You never said ANYTHING about a world tour! I agreed to simple reunion, not a FUCKING TOUR OF THE FUCKING WORLD!" Gale grabbed Johanna's arm and dragged her back a little, his face not showing any emotion.

Finnick didn't how to feel about this. He had just wanted to do a simple album, a concert or two, and then he would settle back into his quiet life with Annie.

_Annie…._

* * *

><p>"You're WHAT?" Seneca Crane asked as he stared Annie down. She shuffled uncomfortably under her boss's stern gaze.<p>

"I am…resigning from my job," she repeated.

"Why?" he demanded.

"I'm…having some health problems."

"And that means that you can quit?"

Annie handed him a letter. "This is from my doctor. It describes my illness and whatnot." Crane ripped the envelope open and stared at the letter suspiciously.

"Fine," he said. "I'll give you your paycheck tomorrow. Come in the afternoon." Annie nodded.

"Thank you."

As she walked out the door, she ran into Katniss.

"Hey," Katniss greeted her. "What's up?"

"I quit," Annie said. Katniss frowned.

"What? Why?"

"Come to my house tonight, I'll tell you everything."

"Alright. I'll be there at seven, with boxed wine."

* * *

><p>"Wow, Odair, I didn't know you could write a song like this," Johanna remarked after listening to the demo that Finnick and Annie recorded.<p>

"Thanks," Finnick replied, handing out sheet music. "Alright. So, Johanna…you know how to play violin right?" Johanna nodded.

"I'm a bit rusty, but I think I can manage this," she said, picking up her sheet music and flipping through the pages.

"Good, now…Gale. You're going to be on guitar with me," he said, handing Gale his part. Gale, a man of few words, just nodded and started strumming the cords. "Cashmere, you're going to do An- I mean…you'll be playing piano and singing harmonies with me." She raised an eyebrow at his blunder and took the music from his hand. "And Gloss…you'll be playing violin with Johanna." Gloss nodded.

"Who's Annie," Johanna demanded. Finnick froze. He could feel the curious eyes of all his band members on him.

"Just a friend," he mumbled. _But I do wish it would be something more…._

Johanna scoffed. "Yeah, a friend you write a love song for."

"Drop it, Jo."

"Come on, it's not like we're ever going to meet the chick. Tell me."

"Fine! She's more than a friend," Finnick admitted. "At least to me."

Johanna raised a delicate eyebrow. "Explain."

"Annie's not exactly the most…trusting person. And we've only known each other for a few weeks, at the most. I can't just…blurt out my feelings like that. It might…scare her…."

"That's a load of bull, and you know it, Odair."

Finnick cracked a smile at that. "It makes a lot more sense in my head, okay?"

"Whatever," Johanna snorted. "But listen, just…reveal your feelings to her. If she likes you back, she likes you back. YOLO it and all that shit."

Finnick facepalmed. "Never say that word again, Johanna." The two then burst into laughter.

Finnick felt much lighter than before. It was almost like…they were all a family again.

* * *

><p><strong>One week later<strong>

Annie laughed with Katniss while sipping on her glass of boxed wine.

She had just gotten back from a stressing and tearful doctor's appointment, and was told the result.

It was a rare disease. They didn't know how she got it. It doesn't seem to show any physical or mental effect. It is life-threatening, and she was very far along in it.

"It progresses through your body, eats it alive," Dr. Everdeen had told her. "You wouldn't feel it until the very end, though. That's when it's reached its peak and…well."

"I'll die," Annie had filled in for her.

And so, she called Katniss over, told her the news, and her good friend had brought box wine to cheer her up. They were having a sleepover.

"So…have you told Finnick yet?" Katniss asked her. Annie's smile dropped and she sighed, her body deflating a little.

"No," she admitted. "He's busy with his band's comeback, and I don't to disturb him. Besides, I have so much to say…."

"Oh really, like what?" Katniss asked cheekily. Annie's smile came back as she laughed.

"But seriously," Katniss said somberly. "What if it's too late? And you haven't told him?"

"I don't know…." Annie said, tears prickling her eyes.

"Maybe you should…I don't know...write him a letter?" Katniss said. "Just in case, you know?"

"That's a good idea."

Annie stayed up until five in the morning , finishing her letter to Finnick.

* * *

><p>Finnick, Gale, Johanna, Gloss, and Cashmere were preparing to go on stage. It was the day of their concert in Madison Square Garden, and the day they would announce their world tour.<p>

Finnick regretted the fact that Annie would have to find out about the tour in the news or whatnot, because he had been too busy to even send her a TEXT about it.

"Are you ready?" Finnick asked his friends.

"No," Johanna said. "Do you think that we could skip the whole part about the world tour? Or would Snow murder us in our sleep?"

"He would announce it for us if we don't," Cashmere said. Johanna sighed.

"Guys, you're on stage in ten," the stage manager said to them as he walked past. They nodded at him. Finnick's phone rang in his pocket.

"Shit, forgot to put this in the dressing room," he murmured, quickly answering the call. "Hello?"

"Finnick? It's Katniss," a slightly rushed woman's voice said over the phone.

"Katniss? What's wrong?" he demanded, worry filling him. _Annie…._

"It's Annie. She's in the hospital. She's not looking so good…."

Finnick paled.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: If you haven't guessed already…. The next chapter is going to be the last chapter :'(. I'm thinking of doing a bonus chapter, but I haven't decided yet. Anyways, sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes!**

**Thanks to: ExquisiteSinner, CusCus81, RandomPotterhead (Guest), Guest for reviewing/favoriting/following!**

**Replies:**

**Guest: Thanks!**

**RandomPotterhead (Guest): I've never seen "A Walk to Remember", but I think my cousin has. I'll have to ask her about it. I just loved everything in Mockingjay Part One! I can't wait until Part Two, even though…you know…. :'(**

**CusCus81: Spoilers ;)**

**ExquisiteSinner: Thanks!**

**PLEASE REVIEW/FAVORITE/FOLLOW IT WOULD HELP ME AND MOTIVATE ME!**

**Until next time,**

**~ AsTheLastPetalFalls ~**


	7. Part Seven

**Disclaimer: Annie, Finnick, and various other characters belong to Suzanne Collins. "Falling Slowly" belongs to the Swell Season.**

* * *

><p><strong>Part Seven<strong>

* * *

><p>Finnick swallowed the sudden lump in his throat and said, "I'll be there soon."<p>

"You better," Katniss replied, then hung up.

"Finnick?" Johanna questioned, looking at his pale face with concern. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"It's…Annie," Finnick said, worry and panic in his voice. His eyes were wide. "I-I-I have to go. I have to…" He stumbled forward unsteadily and Gale caught his arm before he fell onto the ground.

"What about Annie?" Johanna continued asking. "What's wrong with Annie?"

"She's sick, she's in the hospital. I have to go," Finnick kept repeating the words over and over.

"Go?" Cashmere asked, walking up to the trio. "Where on Earth are you going? Finnick, we have to do this concert. Snow will have our necks if we don't perform. He'll make us perform **forever. **I'm sure that whatever's happening to you is nothing big at all."

"Shut up, Cashmere," Johanna snapped. Cashmere took a step back. "Listen Finnick, go to her." Finnick turned to her.

"B-but…what about Snow?" he asked.

She scoffed. "Listen, Snow has us all by the balls right now. Do you really thing that it'll matter if we perform or we don't? He's probably going to keep us as a band _after _the world tour. Just go to her, we'll just perform without you." Finnick nodded.

"Thanks, Jo," he murmured, giving her a hug. She patted him on the back awkwardly.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now, run to your fair maiden, Romeo," she said, pushing him away from her. He stumbled a little bit until he regained his footing.

"Thanks again!" he called, running off.

_Annie…._

* * *

><p>Katniss paced again and again in the hospital waiting room, worried for Annie. She had come over to Annie's apartment for their daily wine-and-chat sessions, when she saw Annie just on the floor, not breathing. She had panicked, and called the ambulance and her mom.<p>

"Katniss, why don't you sit down," Peeta, her fiancé, muttered to her, patting the seat next to him. She walked towards the seat and slumped into it.

"What if she doesn't make the night?" she asked him worriedly. He put a comforting arm around her.

"She'll be fine, Katniss," he reassured her. "Annie's strong, she'll make it."

"Katniss," her mother called. The two looked up, and saw her mother walking towards them.

"How is she?" Katniss demanded.

"She seems better," Mrs. Everdeen said. "If she wakes up the next morning then she's out of danger." The two nodded solemnly.

"The odds are looking good, though," Mrs. Everdeen continued. "It does looks like she'll survive the night." Katniss breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.

"That's good."

Mrs. Everdeen nodded. "She's looking for you. Room 316." Katniss nodded and stood up.

"I'll meet you there," Peeta told her. "I'm going to go get some coffee."

"Okay," she said as he kissed her and walked away. With a deep breath, she walked to Annie's room door and knocked.

"Come in," she heard Annie softly call on the other side. She opened the door and took in a breath of surprise as she spotted Annie.

She looked extremely small and frail in her hospital bed. She was hooked up to a number of machines, IV drips, and other various things that Katniss couldn't name or recognize.

"Hey," Annie weakly greeted her as she headed towards her bed.

"Oh, Annie," she whispered, looking her friend up and down.

"Katniss, don't worry about me. I'm fi-"

"Well, obviously you're not fine or you wouldn't be here, in the hospital," Katniss snapped, and then she looked down at the floor guiltily. "I'm sorry, Annie…. It's just…."

"It's okay," she heard Annie say. She looked up at her friend, her best friend, and saw her smiling.

"My mom told you, right? That if…you're still…here in the morning…." Katniss trailed off, not wanting to finish her sentence. Annie nodded, looking a bit scared.

"You've got to promise me, Annie," Katniss said strongly, gripping her friend's hands in her own. "You gotta fight." Annie nodded tearfully.

"I will."

They hugged each other, tears streaming down both of their faces. Katniss pulled away first, wiping her eyes. Annie started chuckling awkwardly and Katniss followed.

"You should sleep," Katniss suggested.

"No," Annie said.

Katniss raised an eyebrow. "And why not?"

"I'm going to wait for Finnick."

Those words shattered Katniss's heart.

Annie's feelings for Finnick, Finnick's obvious feelings for Annie, and the fact that they might not be able to grow old together…. Those thoughts always stabbed Katniss in the heart.

"Alright."

* * *

><p>Finnick nearly ran into the hospital and to the desk.<p>

"Hi," he said, nearly out of breath. "I…um…am visiting…Annie…Cresta."

"Room 316," the nurse replied, looking at him. Her eyes went wide. "Wait, aren't you-?" Before she could finish her question, Finnick had run off again.

_Room 316…316…._

BAM!

He had run into someone.

"Oh crap, I'm so sorry," a male voice said. Finnick looked to the man who he had run into. He was of medium built, and had blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked like a kind person.

"It's okay, Finnick said, regaining his footing. The guy looked him over once and his eyes widened.

"Finnick, right?" he questioned. Finnick resisted the urge to roll his eyes. _Oh, the perks of being a celebrity._

"I'm Peeta, Katniss's fiancé. Annie's waiting for you," Peeta continued. At the mention of Annie, Finnick perked up.

"Annie? How is Annie? Is she alright?" he asked quickly. Peeta nodded.

"She's looking for you. She's refusing to go to sleep until you come. I'll take you to her."

"Thanks."

The two headed to Annie's room.

"Um…by the way…the doctor told us that…if Annie woke up in the morning…then she'll be out of danger," Peeta informed him, sounding kind of nervous. Finnick took in the new information with dread.

"So it all depends on if she survives the night?" Finnick asked. Peeta nodded. They had reached Annie's room, and the both entered. Katniss and Annie stopped talking and looked at the two men.

Annie's eyes met his and her lips stretched into a wide smile. And…despite the circumstances…everything went right in Finnick's world. He returned her smile and walked towards her.

"We'll…leave you two alone," he vaguely heard Katniss mutter as she and Peeta left the room.

"Hey," he whispered to her, sitting in the chair that Katniss had vacated.

"Hey," she whispered back, giggling weakly.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, and then mentally hit himself on the head. _Look at her, Odair. How do you think she's feeling?_

"Better."

"Good…good."

"How did Snow like the demo song?" she questioned. He suddenly remembered that there had been no contact between them since he had left for Manhattan.

"He thought it was amazing…said that the…um…emotions that were present seemed…real," he said, staring her straight in the eyes. _I love you._

She didn't flinch away from his gaze. "Well…maybe they were…." _I love you too._

The two sat there, just staring...wishing that they could say the words.

Finnick cleared his throat. "Anyways…I was wondering-"

He was cut off by Annie's yawn.

"Sorry," she apologized sheepishly. "You were saying?" It was then that he realized how tired she looked.

"It doesn't matter," he finished, smiling at her. "You need to get some rest." _Please, Lord. Or whoever is up there, receiving this prayer…. Let her be here in the morning._

He then stood up and kissed her on the forehead. "I'll be right back. I'm going to quickly get some water."

"Alright," Annie replied, snuggling in the bed sheets.

"Annie, you better be here in the morning," he mock-threatened her as he lingered in the doorway, pointing a finger at her. He fixed her with a semi-stern gaze. "Because I have something extremely important to tell you when you wake up. It's going to be life changing." She laughed sleepily.

"Is it?" she asked. He smiled at her and nodded.

"Well, then I better get to sleep so that it'll be morning soon, then."

"Sweet dreams," he said and then left the room.

* * *

><p>Not even five minutes later, Finnick entered Annie's hospital room with a cup of water.<p>

"Annie, are you still awak-"

_Beep._

The sound of a flat line on the heart monitor made his own heart stop.

No.

**No.**

_**No.**_

_**NO!**_

"NO!" he screamed. A group of doctors and nurses were crowded around Annie, frantically trying to restart her heart.

But the sound continued on.

Forever.

* * *

><p>Finnick took another long sip of his whisky, straight from the bottle.<p>

It had been three days since Annie…died, and Finnick was having trouble sleeping.

He saw Annie in his dreams, in his sleep, just…everywhere.

He couldn't handle it.

The fact that he hadn't told her that he loved her.

The fact that the time they had spent together had been so short.

The fact that he had been too stupid to realize his obvious feelings for her sooner.

He took another long drink of whisky.

A knock on the door.

"Come in!" he hollered, not even caring who it was. A robber could've entered and he wouldn't have cared.

"Hey Finnick," a soft female voice greeted him. He turned his head and saw Katniss Everdeen, Annie's friend, walking towards him.

"Ah, Katniss…. What brings you to my humble abode," he asked, gesturing around his dark and dirty apartment.

"Annie…Annie wanted me to give you something," she told him, holding an envelope out. He grabbed it out of her hand and stared at there. On it, in Annie's elegant script, 'Finnick' was written.

"Listen Finnick," Katniss said. "Annie…Annie would be disappointed in you if she saw you like this." He ignored her and ripped the envelope open, unfolding the letter that had been contained in it.

"The funeral's tomorrow. Clean up and come. For Annie," Katniss said and then left, closing the door behind her.

Finnick sat back down in his chair, his eyes reading the words that Annie had written for him.

'_Dear Finnick,_

_If you are reading this, then my body has succumbed to my illness and I am now nothing but a cold corpse. I really hope that this is not true and that this letter will not be read by you or anyone else._

_But…if you are reading this..._

_Finnick, you are my favorite person in the world._

_You are my best friend, my confidant…_

_I can trust you with anything and everything._

_And I bet you're wondering, 'well how come you never told me about your illness?'_

_The truth is Finnick…I'm scared. I'm scared of dying. I'm scared of leaving everything and everyone. My parents, my friends, and most importantly…you._

_Because…I love you, Finnick Odair._

_Ever since that day I told you about my past._

_And I'm sorry for being such a coward and not telling you._

_I love you._

_Love,_

_Annie'_

* * *

><p><strong>AN Ugh, the ending is so cheesy! But I just couldn't help myself…. The feels :'(**

**HOWEVER, IT'S THE END OF AN ERA! UGH! **

**Honestly, this story has been a blast to write, and I really loved writing a story as short as this because there aren't a lot of chapters to fill in. **

**I'm thinking of posting a bonus chapter, about Finnick and what happens to him afterwards. Would you guys like that?**

**Again, apologies for any spelling and/or grammar errors!**

**Thanks to: RandomPotterhead (Guest), AthenaGirl4Ever, Guest(s), CusCus81, S (Guest), ExquisiteSinner for reviewing/following/favoriting!**

**PLEASE REVIEW/FAVORITE/FOLLOW! IT MOTIVATES ME AND HELPS ME OUT A LOT!**

**Until next time,**

**~ AsTheLastPetalFalls ~**


	8. BONUS CHAPTER

**Disclaimer: see the other chapters. Also, the magazines listed here are obviously not mine either.**

* * *

><p><em><strong>People Magazine<strong>_

_**December 2014 Issue**_

"**Tributes" lead Finnick Odair donates money to a research cause that researches unknown fatal diseases.**

_**US Weekly**_

_**February 2015 Issue**_

**Is Finnick Odair back to his alcohol and drugs? Read more inside!**

_**InTouch Weekly**_

_**March 2015 Issue**_

**Finnick Odair back in rehab!**

_**Star Magazine**_

_**June 2015 Issue**_

**Finnick Odair "doing well" in rehab. The "Tributes" lead singer is expected to be released next month.**

_**People Magazine**_

_**July 2015 Issue**_

**Finnick Odair caught celebrating release from rehab at a famous New York club! Singer seen with "multiple ladies".**

_**People Magazine**_

_**September 2015 Issue**_

**Johanna Mason on Finnick Odair: "He is going crazy."**

_**InTouch Weekly**_

_**November 2015 Issue**_

**Finnick Odair returns to the small town of Aurora, NY. But why?**

_**Star Magazine**_

_**November 2015 Issue**_

"**Finnick is hurting a lot right now," a source says.**

_**People Magazine **_

_**December 2015 Issue**_

"**There will be no Tributes reunion. Ever," says Finnick Odair.**

_**Us Weekly **_

_**January 2016 Issue**_

"**Finnick is getting better," Gale Hawthorne says. "He's still going through a lot right now in his personal life."**

_**InTouch Weekly **_

_**May 2016 Issue**_

**Finnick Odair reveals all! Singer talks about his life, his work, and, most importantly, his tragic love story.**

_**People Magazine**_

_**May 2016 Issue**_

**FINNICK ODAIR'S TRAGIC LOVE STORY! "Her name was Annie…."**

_**Star Magazine**_

_**May 2016 Issue**_

**All about Finnick's tragic love interest: Annie Cresta.**

_**US Weekly**_

_**May 2016 Issue**_

**Finnick Odair and Annie Cresta: their tragically short love affair.**

_**People Magazine**_

_**December 2016 Issue**_

**FINNICK ODAIR FOUND DEAD IN A HOTEL ROOM. Cause of death: drug overdose.**

_**InTouch Weekly**_

_**December 2016 Issue**_

**Finnick Odair dies tragically from a drug overdose in a hotel room in Aurora, NY.**

_**Star Magazine**_

_**December 2016 Issue**_

**At 27, Finnick Odair dies from a drug overdose.**

_**US Weekly**_

_**December 2016 Issue**_

**R.I.P. Finnick….**

* * *

><p><strong>AN And so it ends! Honestly, I don't have any more words to say other than thank you. Thank you for all the support you guys have given me with this story. And also, sorry that this stupid bonus chapter took me so long to post….**

**Goodbye!**

**~ AsTheLastPetalFalls ~**


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